I'm pretty new too, but past the 30 days and haven't made a trade yet. When I joined, a vet sent me this advice:
Hi kick, welcome to both MFN & league 63 This is a note that I send out to new players as there is not a good guide or tips that are available to help you get started. One of the things you can do to learn quickly is to look at the posts in the general community forum, there is a lot of good information, advice, & tips in those posts that will help you out and get you off to a good start.
There is a lot to this game, some of it is very similar to the real NFL game & strategy, and some is not. Knowing which player attributes are the most important by position is essential to building a good team. One of the best ways to learn what attributes are most important is by looking at the starters of the top teams. Also look at the leaders in player stats for the league, which will give you a good overview of what makes a good RB, WR, QB, CB/SS/FS, etc.
As in the real game, your defense is the most important priority for success. The secondary is the most crucial, I'm an advocate of speed for DB's. Ive been playing since August, have 5 teams, all division winners, and 4 league champions. A big part of my success has been going with speed as the most critical factor for DB's, MLB, WLB, and DE. For DT, you want both speed & strength, many managers use DE's at the DT position. You can also be successful with LBs at the DE position as they are faster. Player weight is relevant to how fast the player is. A 190 lb player with 90 speed is faster than a 240 lb player with 90 speed.
Most importantly, please be aware that as soon as you become trade eligible, you may be offered a trade right away for your 1st round draft pick(s) by one of the more experienced owners, usuallly a league leader. This does not happen as much or at all in League 63, so its not as crucial, but good for you to know and be aware of.
Some have built their strong teams and add to them by acquiring 1st round picks from new players with losing teams, which make the picks a much higher value. (a 1.10 pick, early in the first round, is much more valuable than a 1.30 pick, late in the round)
You may be offered player(s) that have high overall ratings and trade meter value, but not as much value relative to their key attributes, the importance of their position, their stats, and how old they are. Aging, like in real life, reduces their ability, especially vets that are 9+ years. That is why you will see a lot of older vets on the trade block. These players may look good, but are not worth your 1st or 2nd round pick, so if you are not sure, ask one or more experienced players for their opinion before you accept the trade. The trade meter values do not reflect the true player value in most cases. OL & TE values of 1500+ and low values for 1st round picks, less than 600, are very common. Another tip, the most important positions are CB1, SS, DE(need speed for sure), MLB & WLB, WR1, WR2. QB is important, but you can fill that position much more easily than the others. Again, take a look at the league statistical leaders for QB, look at both their overall rating and their individual attributes for commonalities. There are QBs with low overall ratings who perform very well, and vice versa.
Hope this helps and prevents you getting "bagged" for your top picks, they are very valuable, which is why some "pros" go after them as they are easier to acquire from new players. It takes about 6-8 weeks on the average to get to where you know player values and can evaluate them quickly and accurately. Depending on how much time you can invest, and how much you learn from others, it will have an effect the "learning curve".
Best of luck with your team, its a great game, am here to help as I prefer to have more competitive teams in the league with active owners, it just makes it a better game. cheers, gdad.
